This post was updated on August 3rd, 2023.
On October, 2018, Greyhound Canada canceled all of its Canadian routes located west of Ontario. The familiar white and blue buses have stopped all service in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario, ending service beyond Sudbury. The lone surviving route is between Vancouver and Seattle, which will still be offered by Greyhound.
Best bus options in Western Canada
Over the last few years, Busbud has worked to find and integrate alternative bus operators serving Western Canada so that customers will still have access to affordable and sustainable bus travel on our website and app. We were able to bring you new bus options on the most popular routes in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Take a closer look at all our partners’ locations in Western Canada:
Greyhound bus alternatives in Alberta
Busbud customers have other options than Greyhound Canada in Alberta and Ontario with Red Arrow coverage. The company operates hundreds of routes in both provinces, making it easy to travel around the two provinces. Busbud travelers seem to enjoy their amenities too, since the company has a 4.5 stars rating – an expressive number for the industry.
Another option is Ebus. The company has several routes in Alberta and British Columbia, offering services between prominent cities, like Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurry, Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George. The buses have WiFi, restrooms and power outlets. Busbud customers rate Ebus with 4.3 starts.
Travelers can also choose Rider Express services to explore not just Western Canada but also various cities in Ontario. The company offers routes connecting cities within British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, as well as routes between provinces. Apart from the in-province routes, you can embark on trips from Vancouver to Calgary, Calgary to Regina, Winnipeg to Regina, Saskatoon to Edmonton, Toronto to Ottawa, and many other exciting destinations. It’s an excellent way to discover the country! Busbud travelers rate them with 4.2 stars.
Cold Shot is another provider offering transportation throughout Alberta, covering 29 cities in the province. Their buses also serve two cities in British Columbia, giving passengers more options to choose from. On Busbud, travelers give them 4.0 starts and ratings, much due to their limited amenities, as their buses don’t offer bathrooms. Yet, they do have WiFi and power outlets.
Another choice in Alberta is traveling with The Canada Bus, a company that serves routes within the province, connecting the cities of Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. They’re known for their punctual services and comfortable buses, all equipped with bathrooms, WiFi and power outlets. Travelers on Busbud rate them with 4.4 stars.
Also in Alberta, travelers can find shuttle operators to go from the big cities to the smaller tourist towns of Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise. The options are traveling with Vivo Green and RTB Tours.The companies also offer bus trips between Calgary International Airport and the Rocky Mountains.
Alberta bus companies’ alternatives on Busbud:
Greyhound bus alternatives for British Columbia
For our travelers to beautiful British Columbia as well as local folks, we’ve successfully replaced coverage on Vancouver to Squamish with Squamish Connector, offering multiple departure and arrival points in both cities. The company is highly rated, with 4.7 stars on Busbud and many compliments.
We have also added YVR Skylynx, a 4.5-star company, and Epic Rides, rated at 4.7, on the popular Vancouver to Whistler route. With a pick-up point at the Vancouver YVR airport and a direct connection to Whistler, the (arguably) best slopes in Canada are much closer than you think!
More good news is coming from Ebus, which has expanded its coverage in the wake of Greyhound’s decision and is now serving routes in British Columbia. Although the bulk of its routes are located in Alberta, Ebus has added Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Merritt, Vernon, Surrey and Coquitlam as notable destinations.
If you wish to travel between British Colombia and Alberta, the aforementioned Rider Express has another cross-province bus on the very popular route between Vancouver and Calgary, with daily buses between the two cities.
For routes within Vancouver Island, you can count on Tofino Bus, as the company offers trips between Nanaimo and Victoria, Duncan and Victoria, Port Alberni and Victoria and many more. Their shuttle bus services are rated with 3.6 stars by Busbud travelers.
British Columbia (BC) bus companies alternatives on Busbud:
All routes from these bus companies are already available on busbud.com. Adding more Canadian inventory as well as working closely with local operators to expand coverage on the ground is always one of Busbud’s top priorities.
Main alternatives to top Greyhound routes 🚌
Did you really think we wouldn’t let you reach your favorite destinations!? Here are the top routes that Busbud users will still be able to compare, search and book bus tickets for:
Rider Express from Saskatoon to Regina
Calgary to Banff with Banff Airporter
Calgary to Fort McMurray by bus
Vancouver to Whistler alternative with YVR Skylynx
Kelowna to Vancouver with Ebus
Continue to travel by bus in Western Canada
The challenge for Busbud
Following Greyhound’s decision, Busbud has been working hard to continue to offer the most options to our Canadian and international travelers. As a proud Canadian company, we have been dedicated to building and offering the largest intercity bus coverage in Canada on our platform.
We’ve found ways to keep offering multiple city-to-city bus routes in Western Canada so that our customers can continue to have access to affordable and sustainable bus travel on our website and app, in 11 languages, multiple payment options as well as 30 currencies.
Book your bus tickets for Canada or any of our other 80 countries on our website or mobile apps.